Mid-Week Notes

The news last week that Glenn Ordway will launch his internet radio program “Big Show Unfiltered” on March 17th was of interest in this corner.

The show website, which can be found at BigShowUnfiltered.com or SportsTalkBoston.com currently has the press release announcing the new program. There are many familiar names attached to this project. In addition to Ordway, former WEEI program manager Jason Wolfe is involved, and on the Regan Communications PR side, Steve Ciaccio – former producer of the Dennis and Callahan morning show is on the account, and yesterday Pete Sheppard announced that he also (as expected) will be joining the show.

The show will also feature the “Whiner Line” and likely many of Ordway’s old cronies from the WEEI days.

I’m intrigued. There is absolutely an opportunity in the afternoon market, especially among those working in offices and who access streaming audio. I’m a little skeptical about the 3-6pm timeslot. While the show will be accessible via smartphone, I think a large segment of the potential audience will drop off at 5:00pm when they leave for the day.

But overall, I think this venture has a better chance of succeeding than other recent internet radio attempts (Boston Herald radio, I’m looking at you.) simply because of the experience of those putting it together. Ordway has the relationship with many sponsors already, and with Julie Kahn also said to be a part of the project, her sales experience and contacts will benefit them as well.

There is also the name recognition of Ordway, and his ability to bring in high profile guests and to lead a show. His absence in the market has been felt, as the Salk and Holley pairing in the afternoons has not been well-received by audiences, and there is a segment out there who are tiring of the “everything sucks” and “the sky is falling” theme of the Felger and Massarotti show. I hesitate a tiny bit at the promotion of the show as “unfiltered” – I just hope they don’t go too far in that direction.

Ordway’s show will not take significant numbers away from either sports radio station,(Ordway himself admits that in the Chad Finn column linked at the top of this post.) but I believe they will get enough listeners to keep the show going and give it opportunity for growth. If Ordway is successful in getting traditional radio stations in the region to pick up the show, then we’re talking opportunity for real numbers.

I’m looking forward to checking it out and giving it a chance.

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Quick Hits

Dan Shaughnessy hates analytics? In other developments, water is wet. Columnists like Shaughnessy hate stats and numbers because it lessens the impact of their own opinions. Their vaunted “eye test” can now be debunked in many cases.

I agree with the column from Ron Borges today. It’s interesting to me that Borges in this case isn’t aiming his venom at Patriots fans, but rather those (or, more to the point, one person) on the sports radio and TV airwaves who believes it’s an easy decision for the Patriots to cut Vince Wilfork. There are plenty of other ways to save cap room besides cutting Vince.

On the other hand, ol Ron was a bit off this morning during a call-in to the Dennis and Callahan and Minihane show when he accused Robert Kraft of not being willing to go all-out to win and that the Patriots have changed the conversation about them from winning Super Bowls to to being competitive. He claimed that in the early 00’s, the Patriots would talk about about how winning Super Bowls was more important than how the Colts would just be aiming for the best record. Now having the best record in better since they’re not winning Super Bowls.

Of course, in their Super Bowl winning seasons the Patriots went 11-5, 14-2 and 14-2 while the Colts went 6-10, 12-4, 12-4 those same seasons. So what was he talking about again?

On the plus side, we also now know that Borges and Steve from Fall River are actually the same person. “Ron” brought up Ty Law and how the Patriots haven’t won a Super Bowl without him. (Except that one they won when he didn’t play and was injured for the playoffs)

I like Kirk Minihane. He’s willing to go against the conventional media stance and produce an original thought. That said, I was scratching my head Monday morning when he somehow decided that attacking the character of John Wooden was the way to go. Calling him boring, preaching, pious and suggesting that he probably cheated on his wife. That he cheated by allowing boosters to bring him Kareem and Walton. Odd.

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Published by Bruce Allen

12 thoughts on “Mid-Week Notes”

With regards to the new, independently produced Big Show Unfiltered, I think that to actually make the money he is accustomed to making Glenn and Co have to get this show picked up and syndicated on terrestrial radio. So my thinking is he launches on internet radio and works out the production kinks. By summer when WEEI is looking to replace Salk and Holley they bring on the new format Big Show as part of a syndication deal…it is cheaper for them while Glenn is paid on more of a performance metric than an upfront guaranteed contract. It is kind of a win/win for both. If within 3 months the show is not picked up either by an affiliate network of terrestrial stations or by Sirrus/XM then it fails and the Big O and co will go looking for something else to do.

I don’t really see how there are enough listeners on internet radio for advertisers to pay more than a token. Heck most internet radio broadcasts are free podcasts with no commercials.

If the Big buffoon-O brings back his usual D-list guests (and you know he will), he’ll be dead before he starts. That group brought him down before and not sure he has the courage to try something new without his security blankets around him.

Locking your talent behind a paywall as Boston.com does to Shaughnessy is a punishment that must really cut to the core. Imagine toiling over a laptop writing a column that you know only a couple hundred people…at most…will read. I’m sure the ‘talent’ at The Globe were railing for something…anything…to force more eyeballs to ‘appreciate’ their ‘work’ (finger quotes used for emphasis).

Considering the mediocre (okay…awful) afternoon options for Sports Talk Radio in Boston at this time, bringing back Big O and the cast of thousands is worth a try. Let’s be serious; Mut and Merloni, Salk and Holley, Felger and Maz…unlistenable…painful…pathetic. While I am under the impression that WEEI is looking to revamp the mess that occurs daily after D&C and 98.5 has seen it’s initial 15 minutes of fame begin to fade I am looking forward to the internets version of Back to the Future…Ordway, Sheppard, the Whiner Line…until the local stations get straightened out I am going to give the old/new and internet version of The Big Show a chance…

Not really on any of the topics Bruce raised in his article but I read in Jessica Haslem’s piece today about the ongoing custody battle over Arianna Remy. Dave R will be thrilled to know that while Jerry Remy is yucking it up with Don O at night his expensive legal team is trying to get custody of his granddaughter even though Martel’s parents and Brother and Sister in Law have asked for custody. Clearly the Remy’s cannot do enough to ruin the Martel family. Thank god NESN put Remy back on the air so that they can send more more his way in order for him to continuing pressing important legal matters like this one. God knows the Remy’s have done a great job raising their own children…let’s let them get their hands on another generation.

Here is a novel concept…if Jerry and his wife feel so strongly about being a part of little Arianna’s life…maybe they could make a deal with the Martels. They will fund a trust that will pay for a substantial part of her living expenses and all of her college, they will waive any claim to wanting custody but they will get some visitation rights as long as Arianna wants them in her life. They have admitted that their counterparts are good and loving people/parents. Why not acknowledge your sons failure and that your continued actions are going to affect little Arianna.

I cannot watch the NESN spring training broadcasts at this point. When I hear his voice I just turn it off. If I hear him on WEEI I turn it off. I know he did not kill, that was the act of his son. However, his actions before the murder and now after the murder have made it such that I just want him to go away.

To continue this thread…Felger made comments very similar to the one’s I made above throughout yesterday’s show. His point, which I think was a good one, was that NESN had hoped that Remy would choose to not come back. They gave him the choice and supported it so that they would not look like the bad guys. Now that the custody battle is in the news, and with the actual trial to be back in the news over the summer, Felger suggested that NESN is now going to have to act. Having Remy playing “air guitar” in the booth is not going to be taken with the same sense of frivolity as it was before the murder.

He also detailed the criminal behaviors of Jenna Remy and the other son, Jordan and how they both live at home, and how bringing Arianna into that house with two other questionable characters is just dumb.

If anyone cares about that little girl, they will make sure that she is not put into that situation. For the life of me I can’t understand why the Remy’s are pursuing this.

Glenn Ordway? Is this the same Glenn Ordway who spent his waning radio days mocking “internet bloggers” as trolls who write little stories “from their mom’s basement?” This man is forward-thinking enough to craft a radio program for listeners who can find his content SOLELY on the internet?

And let me see if I’ve got straight the content of The Big Show v2.0 — This fresh and new alternative, produced by a guy who just discovered the value of the internet five years ago, is going to change the landscape of Boston sports radio over the next 5-10 years by trotting out Pete Sheppard and “many of the old cronies” we got tired of listening to when they were on terrestrial radio?

The Whiner Line, I had all but wiped that abomination of a “segment” from my mind. Can’t wait to hear another little jingle from the Man on the Way Up.
Can Frank be involved too? Because I’d just love for him to have a daily platform again.

I wish Ordway luck with this venture, I’ve missed him during the time he’s been off the air. I think in the long run, this venture will not succeed and he’ll wish he had decided on a return to EEI instead. It will be interesting to see whether he’ll simply do a rehash of the old Big Show or if he’ll be cognisant of the excesses that led to the downfall of his show in the first place. If the show is filled with the likes of Fred Smerlas, Steve DeOssie, Larry Johnson, Steve Burton, Butch Stearns, etc…, complete with them wasting countless time talking on subjects like Fred & Steve’s Steak House and other off topic drivel, it will be a complete disaster and not that long lasting. I’ll definitely try to listen a bit. Felger & Mazz is so absurdly over the top with the vitriol leveled against the local teams and their fans that I’ll be happy to give a chance to an alternative. Salk & Holley don’t count.